//------------------------------// // Thirteen // Story: Fallout Equestria: Wasteland's Beauty. // by D1scordant //------------------------------// Chapter Thirteen “a tout le monde” “Why” I asked, as Lead helped me walk. I didn’t really need it, but he insisted, and it was getting kind of cold. He was warm. Steele looked over at me, ”Two reasons, one; he thinks I’ve been working for the Enclave, and two; I quit. His last mission for me... brought back some unpleasant memories.” “Why would they think you’d been working for the Enclave.” Lead asked, puzzled “You don’t look like a pegasus.” My mind started wondering why I hadn’t seen any pegasus ponies around. “I’m not.” He replied, I noticed he lost his composure a little,” I wouldn’t wanna work for those lazy assed ponies anyway.” “What is this Enclave?” I asked Steele sighed and rolled his eyes. “Ever wonder why you don’t see many pegasus ponies around?”, Lead spoke,” It’s ‘cause they’ve all locked themselves up in the clouds after Cloudsdale was hit. Anypony who comes down to help, is branded a traitor; a Dashite. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sat in my room in the inn, reading a book Blossom let me borrow. Me and Lead had walked back to town after Steele had left. I looked around my room, the medical equipment had been moved, and the room was empty. I felt empty as well. I felt... Lonely. Why did I feel like this? I had lots of friends, why would I feel so alone? I looked out the window. The sun had just finished setting, and it was getting dark. I noticed a massive needle like tower shooting into the sky. I turned at a knock on my door. I trotted over and opened it. Lead was standing outside. The grey earth pony had a box in his mouth. He set the box down. “Here’s your pay for helping me back there.” he said, grinning. I shook my head, “You don’t need to pay me. I don’t mind helping ponies. You keep it.” He laughed. “You’re too modest, Diamond, really, just take it.” He insisted. I sighed. I didn’t really like ponies giving me stuff for helping them. I’d rather just have that good feeling you get when you help ponies. “fine” I said. I opened the box and floated out a small object, It looked like it could fit into my Pipbuck. “I digitalized several of my favorite songs for you to try.” he grinned, “And there’s also fifty caps in there.” I thanked him as he walked out, and wondered what kind of music was on that chip. With my levitation, I plugged the small black object into my leg-mounted computer, and downloaded the twenty some-odd sound files. The first one was named The Earth Pony Way. I assumed that was the Horse Apples’ song I had listened to. I turned it on as I sat down on my bed. Then I started reading again. This book was a tragedy, and wasn’t helping with my alone-ness. So, I set the book down and stepped outside, I needed a walk. I walked down to the stairs. Half way down, I noticed a painting. Unlike the others, this one was new. It was a painting of me standing triumphantly near some rocks. Somehow, everything about the picture, even the dull grey sky, was beautiful. In the corner, somepony had signed their name; Winter Darling. I grinned, she always could find some kind of beauty in this wasteland. I had made it outside into the chilly nighttime air, when the next song started. It seemed kind of angsty sounding, and bleak. I skipped it. The next song however started with a upbeat, but heavy sounding riff. Was this heavy metal? I wasn’t too sure what the song was about, either getting really drunk, or smashing pumpkins over ponies’ heads, or maybe both. I liked the instrumentation, though.I chuckled as I wondered what mom would think of me being an alcoholic rocker pony. I looked around the moonlit town, everypony had gone into their houses for the night. Small squares of yellow light bathed the street, turning it a dark tannish color. I turned looking towards the sky. Grey clouds boiled overhead, but could still see the faint glow of stars. I had never seen stars before I had left my stable, they where one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I wished I could see the stars better, I felt angry at the pegusai for dimming the stars for us earthbound ponies. I heard hoofsteps behind me, turning I saw a filly, Holly Leaf, standing behind, I took my ear bloom out. “Miss Diamond,” she started “you should probably come back to the inn. The Bloodwings are gonna come out soon.” “Bloodwings?” I asked “Just trust me.” I nodded and followed. So much for that walk. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By the time me and Holly had reached the Desert Rose, we heard shrieks out side. Apparently, those were Bloodwings. Holly locked the door and walked over to several other foals playing some kind of board game on the floor. I walked over to the table and sat next to my sister. She was playing chess with Desert Blossom. I always thought chess was lame. Granted, The only time I had played it was... with my dad. I tried to drive those thoughts away. I failed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eleven years ago I was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, chatting with Vanilla. I turned seeing my sister and her coltfriend, Klondike step in. They walked over and sat at the adjacent table. “How ya doin’, Kid” The spotted Earth pony stallion remarked. I hated it when he called me kid, he was only three years older than me, damn it! “Shoot any Teachers’ legs off lately?” I rolled my eyes. I had accidentally shot my shooting coach, miss Marks, in the leg at practice yesterday. Luckily, she was very forgiving. “Ha, ha, ha, very funny.” I replied, my voice oozing with sarcasm. “How 'bout you, make out with any nice fillies behind my sister’s back?” “Diamond!” Ruby retorted, “You don’t need to talk to him like that, Klondike would never cheat on me!” “Really?” I replied “Then how come I saw him kissing Goldenrod?” “Why do you hate Klondike so much?” Vanilla asked “Yeah?” The buck added. “ Because your a stupid lying, cheating, son of a...” “SHUT UP, DIAMOND!” my sister growled at me “Just shut the hell up, Diamond. You’re just jealous because I have a boyfriend, and you don’t, aren’t you?” Jealous!? I wasn’t jealous! Klondike was a total douche-bag! I saw him cheating on my sister so many times I’d lost count. He didn’t deserve somepony as nice as Ruby! “Come on, Ruby, lets sit at a different table.” The earth pony suggested. The ruby coated unicorn nodded, and they walked off. I turned back to the obese earth pony. “You really shouldn’t have gone off like that, Diamond, he’s not that bad.” I groaned loudly. Why did nopony believe me!? “I’ll see you later, Vanilla, I need to go scream into my pillow now.” She frowned “later, Diamond” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I trotted up to the door to our quarters. The metal door was embossed with the number 67, because that was the stable I lived in. The door opened and inside the lights were out. That was odd because my father was still under house arrest for bringing his revolver to work with him, which he always did anyway. He had been jumped enough times to know better than to be caught without it. I stepped in. “Dad, please tell me you didn’t sneak out again, mom would be so mad if she found out!” No reply. “Dad!?” I walked down the hall to his study, the door was slightly opened, a note taped to it. Puzzled, I levitated the slip of paper to my eyes. I’m sorry, darling, I wish I could have stayed with you all, but I have to do this. Life in stable 67, is just too much for me to bear. A tout le monde, A tout les amis, Je vous aime, Je dois partir.* Goodbye This was a suicide note! But it wasn’t in my father’s writing! I nudge the door opened, and screamed. My dad was... was dead! He was lying in a pool of blood. Lying nearby, was a revolver, not his, but somepony else’s! Somepony had murdered my father and made it look like a suicide! I collapsed on the floor, weeping.